Medical laboratory “Dila” (Kiev) has opened 18 departments since the beginning of 2023.
Oleksiy Babich, CEO of Dila Medical Laboratory, told Interfax-Ukraine news agency that 29 new departments were opened in 2021 and more than 40 in 2022.
“Most of the branches were opened in western regions and large cities under the updated franchise program, where not only the formats of partner branches have changed, but also approaches to business in general,” he said.
At the same time, Babich noted that in the first quarter of 2023, the number of operating branches of Dila Laboratories increased by about 1-2% largely due to the reopening of branches that were closed due to military operations.
“The second quarter demonstrates market activation, on average the increase reached 2-3%, but already more due to the opening of new branches. We observe active development of the market precisely due to the opening of franchise outlets,” he said.
In general, according to the company, the market of laboratory diagnostics in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the fourth quarter of 2022 grew by about 20-25%, in the second quarter the market growth rate slightly decreased – to about 5%, which is due to the seasonal decline in demand.
“Analyzing the market situation, still we see positive dynamics from quarter to quarter. Diversification of risks, search for new markets for development, restarting business in new locations, ensuring a decent salary level are the main challenges of the last year and a half. However, the laboratory diagnostics market continues to develop,” Babich said.
According to him, regional chains are strengthening their place in the overall market and are serious players. “They are leading in local markets and are gradually covering other regions,” he said.
At the same time, commenting on price trends, Babich noted the dependence of the purchase price of reagents and consumables on the exchange rate.
“Increased activity in the market, marketing, investments in new products and most importantly – the increase in employee salaries directly affect the price growth. From the beginning of the fall of 2022 we see an increase in the market price, and from 2023 there is a point adjustment of prices, on average by 5-7%,” he said.
